They start you out with Cole slaw and corn bread. The Cole slaw was very good. We ordered jalapeño with cream cheese for appetizer they where really good not to spicy. I had grilled shrimp salad it was good. Shrimp had great flavor. My husband had the flounder and shrimp. He wanted the shrimp fried and flounder blackened but the mixed that up. Which they offered to make right right away. He enjoyed it anyways . They have great service. I definitely recommend! read more

Really enjoyed eating lunch here. The gumbo is so yummy! I look forward to coming back again when back in town.

Excellent food here. My husband raved about the turnip greens. He said the best he's had. Everything spot on!

Service was great, food was great and fast! Deff recommend and place was nice and cozy and clean

Decent shrimp and fries. Boudin balls very tasty. The sand flies were annoying. Got there to late for dessert.

This is some of the saddest seafood I've had in my 50 years. The shrimp were over cooked and dripping grease. The grilled flounder was bland as bland can be. The fried pickles had no flavor and were too chewy to eat. The salad tomatoes were mushy and flavorless. The "rice pilaf" was actually wild grain rice and was crunchy. The cornbread was decent but that's about the only good thing I can say about the food. The manager DID offer to make me something else but didn't offer any discount on our bill even though the food was almost inedible. read more

This is a pretty popular place to take plant folks in the Freeport area. On the River is a country style cafe with all of the typical country offerings. The staples include burgers, chicken fried steak, fried shrimp/catfish, and the occasional steak. The food is pretty decent, nothing to write Texas Monthly magazine about, but good. The wait staff is always friendly, and we can typically be seated without wait even when they have a very busy lunch crowd, which is pretty much every day. The food is always hot, fresh, and standard fare for what they have got going here. Its nice to have a sit down restaurant in the Freeport area without having to drive into Lake Jackson and is not a roach coach or mexican food joint. We are repeat customers when I'm in the area as you know exactly what to expect. Today I opted for the blackened chicken with grilled veggies. Pretty tasty and not too big for a lunch portion. This comes with side salad or coleslaw and cornbread. The cornbread is a little dry for my liking so I douse it with table butter. The desserts look to be really good and possibly even homemade, but I have not personally ordered. All and all pretty good place worthy of 3.5 stars in the yelp category. read more

On the River Restaurant - Blackend chicken breast plate with grilled veggies - Seafood Near Me - Freeport, Texas

Great food and even better service! We were passing through and glad we stopped. I had the Brazos special which was fried catfish and shrimp. Highly recommended! read more

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SERVICE WAS VERY NICE!!! Sweet tea was the best! The food is not that good, not to mention majority of it is not homemade.

My husband and I had a delicious lunch here today. I had a fried shrimp pour boy. He had the fried shrimp meal. The shrimp boy was on soft bread with tarter sauce, tomatoes, onion,and pickles. It was excellent. The shrimp dinner came with 8 fried shrimp and all the fixings. Delicious meal. We both ordered fried on rings and the were cooked to perfection. The wait staff provided great friendly service. Try them out. Oh the homemade skillet corn bread was perfect read more

I got the blackened redfish, cornbread, garlic mashed potatoes, coleslaw, hush puppies and blackberry cobbler. Overall - awesome! Staff was super friendly as well! read more

A good, general purpose, surf and turf restaurant. Exterior is inviting. Interior has an old home rustic and quaint vibe. All is well maintained. The food is solid but, a couple of bumps. Appetizer was a combination basket of their world famous fried pickle chips. This is my first ever, in my entire life, taste of this county fair fare. Crisp exterior with a expected hot, soft interior. Tart but made milder by having spent some time in boiling oil. Part 2 consisted of 4 large 'peños sitting on the pile of pickles. The jalapeños are the tamed TAM variety. Wife likes them but I think the whole point of the chili is to supply some tongue tingle. You can't detract for difference in preference. Both were well prepared and tasty. Entrée was a seafood platter. The fried oysters and shrimp were fresh. Coating was light and mild in taste on the shrimp. Oysters had a batter of moderate thickness. Those two items is were the money should be placed. Other items such as the stuffed crab taste as though it was old/dried and tired. Nothing interesting. There was a gratin of crab which was pleasant. A couple shakes of Tabasco opened the taste channels. Overall a pleasant dining experience made so buy the comforting environment and attentive service. Rio Summer Olympics broadcast quietly in a corner. A little bonus. The food which we ordered teetered between a 3 and 4. I'm going with a thumbs-up 3. Worth the stop but something I'd not include on a map of gastro-adventures. read more

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great food here it is a little pricey but meals include coleslaw and cornbread. great service so far everyone is very friendly.

We recently ordered dinner to go from this restaurant. It was our first time visiting Surfside beach 8/2020. I checked the reviews and gave it a chance. We were not disappointed. We had fried shrimp salad, fried shrimp plate and bacon cheeseburger with fries. The salad was okay minus the tomatoes. The shrimp was tasty. I like tartar sauce with my shrimp. The tarter sauce was a little side of homemade deliciousness. Very tasty. We picked up our food and headed back to the beach. It was worth the visit. I will return next time we visit Surfside beach. Thanks! read more

My family and I were in Freeport for a few days. It's technically off-season so the restaurant we had originally planned to visit wasn't open. I searched for other places, and came across On the River. We stopped in Saturday October 16th for an early dinner. We were seated right away as there weren't many people there. Our server was very nice and attentive. The food was very good. We all had ribeye steaks. One of them needed cooked a bit longer as it was more medium rare, than medium. We loved the addition of skillet cornbread and coleslaw before our meals. I would suggest giving this place a try if you're in the area. read more

READ THIS UPDATE! The only reason I love writing and reading reviews is to get a feel of the business, it successful customer service (or not), and what I need to do or avoid. On the River Restaurant has stepped up to the plate! The owner has invited another visit and has let me know that the service that I experienced was unacceptable and he even apologized. As I said in my review, I travel to the area often for work, and this place will be on the top of my list. The only thing a restaurant can do is improve and this place is on the right track! read more

On the River serves the freshest shrimp with all the fixings. Everything is made from scratch and you can taste it. I highly recommend going past Lake Jackson and going straight to Freeport for this scrumptious seafood! read more

Friday lunch - great experience! Fried catfish was awesome - lightly battered and flavorful. Grilled shrimp were 'fresher than anything in Galveston' according to wife. As always, cornbread and cole slaw were exceptional. Very friendly server, and all staff were wearing masks. read more

Best cajun food I had in a while, food is very well cooked! Definitely recommend this place for the Cajun lovers out there.

This place is cute and rustic. Our server Valerie was great. She brought us a sample of the fried pickles so we could try them before ordering them. They were fantastic. The catfish po-boy was fresh and tasty, and the portions are very generous. It was a little greasy, but can't complain too much about that because everything I ordered was fried. read more

On the River Restaurant - Catfish Po-Boy - Seafood Near Me - Freeport, Texas

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Wow! Amazing seafood platter and the cornbread was to die for. Service was excellent, and the ambiance was very cool. My new favorite place for when I come to surfside beach. read more

On the River Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Freeport, Texas

This was a fun drive and delicious lunch. The seafood made us happy that we stopped in. The service was excellent.

The staff was really nice. The atmosphere was rustic and comfortable. Batman was our server, he was super nice!( thanks batman) The food was amazing, we both had the steak and shrimp. Excellent. read more

On The River has been family favorite for years and years, as well as their restaurant in Lake Jackson, and we have always had terrific food and service. Nine of us went Monday and it was really an off night. Shrimp was badly over cooked, as well as corn bread. Pickles were dried out! My gumbo was a average, and lukewarm. Others in our party grumbled about their food also. Just not up to par this night. Service was great however! Bright spot. read more

Best Flounder, coleslaw, and the cornbread!My friend had stuff shrimp, she stud it was delicious also! If your close to Freeport or staying in Freeport you must check this restaurant out. It's all delicious!! read more

Waiter: Nice guy, very friendly. Checked on us multiple times. Couldn't beat the service! Food: The food was mediocre. Catfish wasn't seasoned very well, Cajun shrimp was greasy, fried shrimp was bland. Atmosphere: An argument broke out in the kitchen. One of the cooks was screaming and cussing. He was either fired or quit. No one apologized for what my 4 and 8 year olds had to hear. We were given a $71 bill which included an 18% gratuity. It was not worth nearly that. We could have gotten better quality seafood at Red Lobster for $50. Will never return. Go someplace else! read more

At first I was under the impression that the restaurant was in fact "on the river" so we were excited to try it and let my little one see the water. When we arrived it was across the street from the river without an actual view of the water. Despite the confusing name we were beyond impressed with the food and staff!! I had a bacon burger that was phenomenal and my son had the kids sliders and fried pickles. Ahhhhmazing!! We will definitely go back if we're ever in the area!! read more

First off amazing service Corey Rocks !!! Cornbread in cast iron skillet so good !! Really all good can't beat the prices either !

Sucks. Service was nice. That's it. Menu is misleading, portions aren't enough, food is crappy and frozen, some food was cold, 'grilled veggies' are definitely out of a bag. Stuffed shrimp was good but still probably frozen and premade. Not good. Gross. Stomach hurts now. read more

me and my family have been coming to this restaurant for over 7 years and it's not the same. The quality is not as good and portion sizes seem to have gotten smaller. The wait staff is ok. read more

We decided to come here for my aunt's birthday because she wanted to go down to the beach. She and the rest of my family had been to this restaurant before many times but not recently (within the past 3-5 years). I was really excited because they hyped it up and said that it was "the absolute BEST seafood". Unfortunately, I was not impressed and either was my family. They were pretty disappointed actually since they had been there many times before; they all agreed that the place and food was just not the same. The food was nothing special, especially for the price. For a place located near water, you would think that the seafood would be superb. Our waiter was nice though, he brought my aunt a piece of birthday cheesecake! But overall, I think if you decide to eat here you will be let down...I sure was. And it's "just not what it used to be" apparently. read more

Someone contacted me about my previous review, asking me to give it another try. I didn't recieve anything from the company bribing me to retract. They screwed up. However, I think that every place has an off day, so I went back. The food here is always fantastic. I would never argue about that :)Usually whenever I go here I get seafood. The shrimp are always fresh and delicious. However, when I went back I tried the queso burger. It was definitely a win. The thick, juicy burger is served with a side of queso for your to put on your burger or dip your fries in. It was a great meal! read more

Wow.... 15-20 minutes to order water. Decided to order drink and food cuz I didn't know when the waitress would be back. Spent 1.5 hr at restaurant. Not a quick lunch. Chick salad was mediocre, but can you expect from a $6 chicken salad . Coleslaw was awesome though... read more

If you are from Brazoria County then you have heard about On the River. If have not heard of On the River then you must be living under a rock!!! My most recent trip was New Year's Eve. We had family in town and decided to give them a taste of what Brazoria County has to offer as far as food goes. It wasn't very packed plus we went to eat at 5:30pm. Normally on a Friday or Saturday come 6pm this place is PACKED! They serve you complimentary corn bread and coleslaw with your meal. And I strongly recommend an order of greens (half-pot) and fried dill pickles as an appetizer. Be careful to not eat too much as you can get full off of the appetizers. You cannot go wrong choosing any entree on the menu. I really like the boiled crawfish (when in season). Also when we went on New Year's Eve, they had a steak and shrimp special that was excellent. The steak was a 6oz. filet and was so tender you could cut it with your fork! If you're ever close to Freeport, you have to go to On the River for dinner!!! If you can't get to Freeport but you're in Lake Jackson, go to their sister restaurant River Point for the same experience. read more

The one star was for the cornbread. THAT was ok. Otherwise, very disappointed. Service was below average. Our waitress was kind of rude. Food was very greasy, heavy, lacking freshness and arrived lukewarm. The steak salad looked like the steak had been sitting out as the blood on the steak looked like it was caked on and honestly, grocery store salad tastes better and is cheaper. The fried seafood platter was so expensive and didn't even have a lot of food. The Gumbo looked like there were hot dogs in it and presentation was poor. Looked like someone took a couple bites before I got it. Come if you want subpar seafood in a port city. read more

Average at best. Food very greasy. Waitstaff not very attentive. Had to ask for drink refills more than once. Our party ordered 4 seafood platters and they were all missing the catfish fillets. When we told the waitress (because she obviously didn't notice), she said that the cook was new and didn't know what he was doing. The stuffed crab was the smallest I've seen in my life. This place is definitely not worth the prices read more

On the River Restaurant - Patio area - Seafood Near Me - Freeport, Texas

Kudos to fellow Yelpers who have blazed the trail to On The River! We arrived at 1100 am and the parking lot was full. Once inside, there is ample seating for everyone Our server, Batman, while not wearing a cape, is a super hero of servers. He moves in stealth mode. We never needed or wanted for anything. The food is fresh with generous portions and great prices. We had a split order of fried pickles and onion rings for an appetizer. Yes, they were as fantastic as everyone says. The hamburger was huge. My shrimp po boy was delish. Definitely wish we lived closer. We will be back !! read more

This one is a big disappointment. I found this place on yelp and trip advisor knowing that most people are honest on these reviews, but I should of focused more on the bad ones. Ordered fried pickles and you think they pulled them out of the fridge and put them on the table. So cold. Ordered tea and the tea was sour. The coleslaw was watery and sour like it had been sitting out. The hush puppies were hot on the outside and cold and mushy on the inside. Shrimp were rubbery and the steak is the only thing that gives this review 2 stars. It had really good flavor even though the ribeye was very thin. This place did not even comp the tea or pickles. The waitress was flustered after we returned the pickles and. Not a lot to choose from in the area, but I would stay clear. Very disappointed. read more

This was another stop on the food tour my fiance and I went on when I brought him home for Christmas. When I lived in Texas, my family would come here for special occasions. I actually remember when they were across the street. They're one of the best places to eat in the area, in my opinion. I love the hushpuppies, fried pickles, coleslaw, cornbread. The shrimp... grilled, fried, I swear I added some on that were wrapped in bacon or something. Oh man, I love the shrimp. The only disappointment we had was the stuffed crab. The dressing didn't taste like it had crab in it to any of us, and 4 people tried them. If you're in Brazoria County and looking for a place for dinner, go here. It's well worth it. read more

If you dig fried plump shrimp. This is the place. The coleslaw, the cornbread make a completely yummy meal. And don't miss the fried pickles - NO ONE does it better. Trust me, I've tried others and I'm always disappointed Everytime I'm in Brazoria County, this is one of my first stops. Drew knows how to run a restaurant. read more